Fiona shook her head. Divine intervention wouldn’t save her now. If she hadn’t wished to see Leon


    once more, she wouldn’t have clung on.


    “Truthfully, I genuinely Liked you. But I was blinded by wealth and stature. I’vemitted grave


    wrongs. I apologize.”


    Following those few words, a retching sound escaped Fiona, and blood welled forth from her mouth.


    Leon’s brow furrowed. He extracted a handkerchief and tenderly wiped the blood from her chin.


    Fiona could sense the gentleness in his action.


    He disregarded the dirt and didn’t find her repulsive. People often deemed him cold-hearted, but in


    truth, that was only the case with those he didn’t care for. For those he cherished, his tenderness knew


    no bounds.


    “You truly love Aisha, don’t you? Your love for her must be profound. She’s so fortunate. I wish I could


    be her.”


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    Fiona’s words dripped with bitterness, her gaze a mixture of yearning. She longed to step into Aisha’s


    shoes, but fate had cast her into a lowly role.


    Leon’s actions paused, his countenance registering astonishment. Did she just say what he thought


    she did? She wished to be Aisha.


    “You’re not Aisha?” Leon’s voice held a mixture of surprise and disbelief. A shadow fell across Leon’s


    face.


    “I’m sorry… I deceived you.”


    Fiona summoned herst ounce of strength, attempting a smile that appeared more eerie than


    reassuring due to her disfigurement.


    “I told you if you came, I’d confide a secret. Now… I’ll disclose it.”


    Though Lois never explicitly mentioned it, Fiona understood who Leon was seeking all along was Millie.


    When Millie questioned her transformation into her childhood likeness, the truth dawned. Millie was


    Aisha, the one Leon relentlessly pursued.


    “The secret is that I’m not Aisha. I’m an impostor, and all of this is a plot. Driven by greed, I was a


    puppet manipted by someone else. She ordered me to impersonate Aisha, the person you’ve been


    hunting for. The real Aisha is just….”


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Fiona’s pupils abruptly dted as she spotted Lois at the threshold. Her speech halted abruptly, and her


    eyes sealed shut.


    “Fiona!”


    Leon’s plea reverberated, yet Fiona’s silence persisted. She was no more.


    She acknowledged her false identity as Aisha and admitted to the conspiracy. “Is she gone?”


    Lois entered, her gaze directed at Fiona, who Lay motionless. Her heart raced; everything hinged on a


    precipice. Just a tad more, and Fiona might have divulged all.


    Was fate aiding her cause?